tich

Hi guys I have just modified my Funtana S thanks to Tony's helpful guidnace. the model flies very nicely. I cant comment on how it flew before the mods because I decided to modify it before flying it. However I can report that another pilot has a Funtana S and he was very impressed with the way mine behaved in flight and the lack of tip stall. His will be modified very soon. I have to say that if you are really clumsy on the sticks it is still possible to provike a tip stall but you have to be really heavy handed to do it. I am really pleased with my model which I brought secondhand as the original owner couldnt come to terms with it and had crashed it at least once, Still its now flying very nicely on a Enya 50 two stroke as I brought the model to fly as a winter hack. Once the Enya is run in I will really be pushing the model hard to see whether more power is really needed but at the moment the model is very nice to fly although the roll rate on high is rather fierce probably two or three rolls per second! Still I am very impressed with it and it remind me of my showtime 50 in may respects.

T.W.

Well-done on getting the wing-mode done tich

Getting a used Funtana is a really great idea - because a poor-flying one must come at a good price . . . yes? I miss mine so much that I may start looking for a used one myself! I'm still flying my AeroSport Extra, and although it flies pretty good, it's nowhere near as agile and exciting to fly as the Funtana was - yep, I still miss flying my Funtana

Power-wise, as long as the model will go vertical out of the hover it's got enough. But to do this at around 3/4 throttle, and with the engine sounding really leisurely, is something else completely - and I love it. A Saito .82 will work great. Mine had a Saito 100 - worked even better!

Tony

tich

Hi Tony
this will make you weep. I paid £85 for the model complete ready to fly including spektrum digital servos,an enya 40 engine etc. I fitted an enya 50 which was new but un run and was brought for a paltry £2 at a club auction. Sadly while the engine is a good one there is only just sufficient power to hover at 100% throttle so an upgrade is needed. I flew the model again today and am delighted with its handling and forgiving nature. It looks pretty good on the ground and is a nice convientl size. I like it a lot and may just fit a saito 100 as I have one lying around at the moment.
Cheers
Ian

T.W.

That sure was a great buy Ian . . . . I would definitely have bought it at that price!

Glad your Funtana is flying so well for you - but you really must fit your Saito 100. You'll be amazed at how much it transforms the model - all the maneuvers seem easier and far more leisurely with a "big" engine up-front

Right now I'm looking forward to getting my current project into the air. If this one flies as well as I'm expecting, then I may stop missing my Funtana . . . . time will tell on this!

Tony

HugoW

First of all; thanks Tony, for the how-to document. I'm sure I'll do the fix, just have to find the nerve to cut my new plane up again. I already sawed through the brandnew fuse, to re-inforce the landinggear area (Dutch forum thread, but many pics).

But I just thought of another way to do the fix, without cutting up the original wing. Please read and tell me what you think:
I'd like to hot-wire-cut a leading edge that is shaped as we want on the outside, and as the original edge is on the inside. The cutting templates would be easy to make, cutting is from a hard expanded foam is easy, too. Once you have the 'edge-doubler', you simply stick it on with some bits of thin double sided sticky tape, and iron covering over it with, say 10mm of overlap onto the old wing structure. This way, you needn't cut anything, and you could with a little care remove the mod again if desired. It might be wise to cut a recess into the leading edge of the foam, in which you glue a carbon rectangular strip 2x4mm. This would protect the edge from damage. I'll try to draw up a pic, and post it.

[EDIT] Here's the pic. It's not the real airfoil, just a concept drawing:
[/EDIT]

OK, shoot!

T.W.

No problem re sending the instructions Hugo

I wouldn't try doing what you're suggesting. If the wing needs modifying I'd just go-ahead and do the job properly

The "wing mod" is easy-enough to do, and once done there's less to go wrong afterwards than with the system you're proposing

But on the other hand, feel free to try your way if you feel you'd like to do so

I'll be interested to hear how you get-on, either way

Tony

HugoW

Thanks, I'll do the proper mod. Despite the fact that this thread has grown into the 'wingmod' topic, I'd like to post another q, just about the X50 (or S40 for that matter):
I have 5 servos, all Dymond D 300 MG, I want to use those. I can glue some wood into the precut holes to make the opening smaller, mechanically fitting them is no problem. I also believe they are strong enough; 54N/cm at 4,8V, and I'll probably go to 6V. But, are there other downsides to using the small servo? Would the twin screw mounting, instead of 4, be a risk? Please share your opinions. I've searched the forum, but the Dymond servo doesn't seem to be widely known.

Thanks,

Hugo

T.W.

Just to let you all know that I'm still getting a couple of requests for the "wing-mod" instructions each month, so although the thread seems dead, the mod lives-on

Winter seems to have arrived early where I am, and I just kitted myself out with a new electric-powered "Winter Steed" - but I'm still tempted to get a new Funtana for next season, seeing as it was such a brilliant flier (once it had been modified of course!)

Tony

rcdude7

My Feedback: (264)

I just bought a un-built funtana 40 (my first funtana) and it has a very blunt wing LE. I have been reading about this mod that everyone here has been doing. I assume "the mod" just involves adding balsa to the LE and carving it to a sharper profile similar to that of other models like this.

Mike

freeair

yes Mike, all you have to do is say if you remove 3/4 of an inch from the existing leading edge, replace the cut off piece with a 1 inch piece then plane / sand to a nice sharp profile.

T.W.

If you want to see my "how to do the Funtana wing-mod" instructions, just PM me your email address and I'll have it on its way to you in double quick time

Tony

HugoW

Well, yesterday and today I had the guts to do the mod myself:
I cut the covering off, I'm changing the design anyway:



They break out section by section:





Bit of sanding with a very long sraight sanding bar:



And a lot of fresh balsa (15mm) stuck on:



And then sanding, coarse to fine, and some covering. Before covering it all up, here's the old nose:



And this is the new one:



Just some more covering to do, and then the left wing is done. Now on with the right hand one. My electric drive is almost done, see here.

Thanks again for the instructions, everything went great.

Cheers,

Hugo

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

Hugo, be sure to post a flight report.

David

T.W.

Don't think Hugo heard you David - strangely-enough neither did I!

I only re-discovered the thread and its latest additions whilst searching for info on an electric Funtana. Ha ha!

Cheers,
Tony

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

Glad to hear you are still kicking Tony. I am ashamed to say I have not touched my F50X in over a year. I took all the gear out of it for another project and it is still sitting. I stilll think about doing the mod. Maybe this winter I can get it done and put the gear back in it. I have an engine for it but have used the servos elsewhere.

david

T.W.

No need to be 'ashamed' David - I'll bet you've just been having far too much fun doing other things!

All The Best,
Tony

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

You are right. Besides the Profiles, I got another Goldberg Ultimate. I have had one of these in my hanger in one form or another for 15 years. I gave away my 10 year old one to a fellow flyer down on his luck. He was glad to do the work to get it going and I bought one of the last 54" ARFs from Goldberg.

David

T.W.

Very nice model!

And a very nice gesture re this too: "I gave away my 10 year old one to a fellow flyer down on his luck." More power to you mate

Have Fun,
Tony

docbytes

My Feedback: (4)

Hey guys,

I just wanted to say thank you to all the helpful people throughout this topic. I had my first modded LE fight yesterday in a strong wind, wow it was so smooth. I don't know if this has been pointed out, but the LE mod will help save you plane from disaster upon dead stick. My glide pattern tripled! I hope to post picture as soon as I replace my digital camera (lost). This plane is killer with an old FS-90 and a 13x6.

DoC
Funtana S40
FS-90
8UAP (Spektrum 2.4 module)


Edit: BTW my LE is still narrow to wide out.

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

Glad to hear it doc. Be sure and bring to our fly in on Sept 19th. Bob comes every year. It would be great to meet some of the other guys. If you have not replaced your camera, I can get you some pics then.

David

docbytes

My Feedback: (4)

Now that would be an honor, I'll try and make sure my calendar stays open for it. I have yet to make it out to another field! :O

daveopam

My Feedback: (9)

If you don't make ours , I would like to come to your place and fly in Oct or Nov. I enjoy a different locale and a different bunch of guys now and then. About the only other place I get to go is Moreland OK. Their event is a week or two before ours. It's more of a Fun-Fly than a Fly-In, but it's still fun.

David

jjoos99

My Feedback: (12)

I am being lazy and not back reading this thread. What flight charateristics does this wing mod help out with? I have one from when they first came out years ago. It has always been kindof jumpy and after a turn going back into level flight it always wants to climb. I have to also land this thing pretty hot to keep it from stalling, then with the extra speed just alittle of elevator input pops it back up in the air. I enjoy this plane but sometimes I think that another plane would fly better and easier.
Thanks
Jeff

T.W.

Jeff - rounding-off the leading edge of the wing (which is really all the 'wing mod does) makes the Funtana fly/glide much better than with the 'stock' leading edge. It changed my model from being a pain to being the best flier I've ever had (and the longer it gets since I last flew it the better I remember it - isn't that strange. Ha ha!)

Anyway, here's what I said back in post 17:

Today I flew my Funtana with it's modified wing. And it flew much better than it flew previously on its standard wing. With the modded wing it will "Harrier" without excessive wing-rock, it stalls only when pushed very hard to do so, and then "straight-ahead" instead of flicking into a spin. It will also do reasonably tight loops without trying to roll out

But it's the landings which have seen the most improvement. Now I can slow the model down to a really slow landing speed - and am still able to pick the nose up for a very gentle flared touch-down (even dropping the tail-wheel first is easily done). Great! All I did was follow dickj's advice to modify the wing's leading edge and it's transformed the handling completely

The modification involves nothing more than removing the original 1/8-inch "blunt" leading edge and (in my case) replacing it with a nicely-rounded-off 1/2-inch one. Great results for a couple of hours work! Many thanks to dickj for pointing me in the right direction

I still stand by all of this

Tony

jjoos99

My Feedback: (12)

I might have to do this mod this winter when I cant fly. I have never been fully happy with the way this plane has flown and sounds as if this might be a good part of a cure.
Thanks
Jeff